Being part of the downwardly mobile isn't as glamorous as I make it seem. My new found status as poor white trash prevented me from being part of a big Karate event over the weekend. This involved serious training with very high level martial artists on the beach in wind gushing up to 40 MPH which dropped the wind chill factor to a balmy 23 degrees. This made the part where everyone jumped into the ocean quite pleasant, until of course they all had to come out of the water. There were punches, kicks, yelling, kata, sandy uniforms, and plenty of mild hypothermia to go around. With all this my Karate brothers all told me after it was all over how much they wished I could have been there.
I suspect they wanted me there to drown me, but that's beside the point.
I wish I could have gone too, but that wasn't an option this time around. The experience sounds absolutely horrible and i would have to be completely insane for even thinking about it, but still I wish I could have gone. On the bright side, my cousin Scott got promoted to 6th dan and my buddy Bill received the title of Renshi. Both of these are really big deals, and I'm proud of them, and I'm proud that I helped a little along their budo journeys where I could.
So maybe next time. Which means I better start preparing now just in case. Be right back after I do some push-ups.
CHARACTER STUDY!!
What are the first three literary characters that come to mind?
That was the question I asked across the bits of social media that I bounce around on. The answers were varied and interesting. One character that got mentioned quite a bit was Batman. Batman was not the only comic book character mentioned, but he was the one that was mentioned the most. This is interesting because it makes us consider comic books as literature. The stories abide by similar rules to those of prose. I guess you could argue that comics are just excessively illustrated prose. Batman has been featured in many different mediums, and that is something that he shares with the two characters that had the most mentions.
Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes took the top spots. I'm pretty stoked that Holmes made it since I've been on a big Sherlock Holmes kick lately. I'm working my way through the complete Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and am currently re-reading "The Red-Headed League". I also really dug the BBC's SHERLOCK series, which featured the greatest Moriarty ever. As for Harry Potter, I know next to nothing about him. Never read any of the books or scene any of the movies.All three of these characters have been featured prominently in media. All three have had a major motion picture in theaters in the last couple years. All three have movies in the works. Batman and Potter both have successfully franchised into the video game market. Holmes and Batman both have been re-imagined in different times and settings. Harry Potter hasn't had a TV show yet. I think its safe to say that Holmes and Batman have and will survive the test of time. Its too soon to tell for Potter.
That's now a cue for all the die hard Harry Potter fans to mob me with comments about how the stories will live on and on forever and ever. Yes, they are insanely popular now. Yes its true that I'm not a fan. That doesn't mean that I don't realize the characters significance to pop culture nor the fact that he has millions and millions of fans. I can say that the other two currently over shadow him.
When someone thinks of a superhero, Batman tends to spring to mind.
When someone thinks of a detective, Sherlock Holmes tends to spring to mind.
When someone thinks of a wizard, Harry's still got serious competition. However, that may change with time.
It was interesting to see the results. The finding could easily be, and most likely would be, very different, if I asked the exact same people the same question again. Still, I'm pretty sure those three character would get their fair share of mentions.
POP POLITICS!!
And the news has become the news. Keith Olbermann, host of Countdown on MSNBC, was suspended for making contribution to candidates in the recent elections. The indefinite suspension was pretty much a long weekend. MSNBC was all up in arms about how could Olbermann do such a thing, and professional journalists shouldn't do such things! After all, they aren't Fox News. MSNBC has rules!
Cue the laughter from anyone who has watched MSNBC.
It is no surprise to anyone that the suspension was lifted so quickly. I was even more surprised that there was any sort of rules against campaign contributions to begin with. Its Olbermann's money. He should be able to donate to whomever he wishes. Its not like he wasn't going to go out touting the Democrat/Liberal in whatever race. Its MSNBC, they lean left. Just like Fox News leans right. Its no shock to anyone. Well, maybe its a shock to some people who live under a rock.
Olbermann is paid money to give his opinion. Great job, wish I had it. So his boss got pissed because he made financial contributions to candidates? I doubt any of the viewers were shocked at all. But they did have a rule against it. Which will probably go away because its inconvenient to enforce it. It was a dumb rule anyways. The only thing that rule did was set them apart form Fox News in their own little weird heads. It gave them some odd feel of superiority, like they were real reporters or something. Fortunately, that's all been cleared up and now viewers know.
They're all the same.
GET YOUR BISCUITS IN THE OVEN AND YOUR BUNS IN THE BED!!
The "Anti-Feminists" are meeting in Switzerland and are meeting in a secret location. Obviously this is to plot how to destroy the woman's movement and put them in their proper place which is in the kitchen making me sammiches. That's right, it all started with them wanting to vote and it all went straight to hell from there!I'm sure that's what the protesters think this meeting is about.
The reason its being moved to secret location is they don't want to deal with the protesters. Also, surprise, this isn't a meeting against women. Gender relations are totally messed up in many areas. You go to Middle Eastern cultures and in many places women have no rights whatsoever. Hell, you go to the right place and if a woman says something wrong they throw rocks at her until she is dead. Or you could go to China were records of a marriage of a beautiful popular woman are being scrubbed from public record because her husband is the next president and she can't be seen more favorably. Her role will be to be quiet and smiles nicely at meetings with officials on the occasions that families are invited.
Then you come over to good old western civilization. Over here if there's any kind of domestic dispute, the man is to leave the house. The woman can be going absolutely bonkers and even assault him, and if the cops show up, typically the guy is made to leave. If there's a divorce children are typically sent to live with their mother.
Equality doesn't exist. The feminist movement did a lot for women, and that's awesome, but we've got a problem when the focus shifts from lifting up women to putting down men. Its not just gender either. Affirmative Action was great, but has now outlived its usefulness. There was a time for it and that time may very well be past.
We've been told that gender doesn't matter. We've been told that skin color doesn't matter. So its time to walk the walk. If the qualifications of person make them the best candidate for something, be it a job or custodian of children or whatever, they should get it even if they're a white guy. That said, everyone should have the same opportunities offered to them. That's what the Switzerland meeting is about. Who knows? maybe this will be the start of progress towards true equality of rights and opportunities for everyone!
And in this magic fairy tale land, I want a flying horsey.
MUSIC!!
Great song, good album, bet you forgot is existed.
Yep. While you were reading all that and enjoying the music, I was busy cranking out some crunches. I'd post a picture of my studliness, but it may be too much for the internet to handle. See y'all Friday.
1 comment:
HARRY POTTER WILL LIVE ON FOREVER AND EVER.
No seriously, it will. I'll even do the most cliched thing possible and say that I liked Harry before he was cool. When I was 11 we went to the library with my class and we were told about this new book that just came out, about a little wizard boy. I loved it right away, later the films came out and they were the magical equivalent of The Labyrinth, if you know what I mean. I'll admit that the business aspect of its success has gotten ridiculous, I like Harry because he is brave despite being average. I don't want his face and name on every possible gadget I own.
If you feel like you haven't fully grown up yet, you would definitely enjoy Harry Potter. Not that it's necessarily literature for children, but it's very candid, in a way only a "young" mind could appreciate.
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